Tube making and label applying machine



May 25, 1965 R. couzENs TUBE MAKING AND LABEL APPLYING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR.

REGINALD COUZE/VS BY 2%! Q Z ATTORNEY May 25, 1965 R. COUZENS 3,185,049

TUBE MAKING AND LABEL APPLYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DEIEEIIIIGD INVENTOR. REGINALD COl/ZE/VS BY /QV.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,185,049 TUBE MAKING AND LABEL APPLYING MACHENE Reginald Couzens, Wallingford, Pa., assignor of fifty percent to Michael Young, Philadelphia, Pa. Fiied Sept. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 224,411 11 Claims. (Ci. 938tl) This invention relates to a tube making and label applying machine wherein the label is applied to a tube in a manner so that the side edges of the label are overlapping and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube as opposed to methods proposed heretofore wherein the label is spirally wound around the tube.

Heretofore, apparatus for spirally winding paper tubes included a means for spirally winding a strip of label stock therearound with individual labels printed on the strip on a bias. Examples of such equipment are set forth in US. Patents 2,623,443 and 2,623,445.

Experience has indicated that the means and apparatus for applying the label to the spirally wound tube in the above-mentioned patents can present serious production problems. Difliculty is often encountered in regulating the equipment so that the spirally wound strip of label material is applied in a manner so that there is continuity of printed matter across seams. Also, the use of a spirally wound strip of label material is limited to those situations wherein the label has a minimum amount of printed matter thereon. When the strip of label material has a substantial amount of printing thereon with instructions as to the manner of use, any irregularity in the overlap of edges across which printing occurs interferes with the ability of one to read the printed matter. If the material to be disposed within the container is in any way dangerous or inflammable, failure to carefully follow the directions may be disastrous.

The label applying apparatus of the machine of the present invention applies a strip of label material so that it is continuously applied to a rotating longitudinally movin cardboard tube in a manner so that the overlapped edges of the label material are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube. Hence, the devices in the above-mentioned patents apply the label convolutely or spirally while the present invention applies the label longitudinally.

In order to longitudinally apply a label to a rotating and longitudinally moving cardboard tube, a means is provided to rotate a roll of label stock and a plow around the cardboard tube. A counterweight means is provided to offset the decreasing centrifugal force resulting from the reduction of the roll of label stock during operation of the machine. The machine includes a conventional means for spirally winding the cardboard tube on a rotating mandrel, and may include a conventional means for cutting the spirally wound tube into unit lengths.

t is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for making spirally wound tubing having a longitudinally extending label applied thereto.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for applying labels to a rotating and longitudinally moving cardboard tube.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel label applying apparatus capable of continuously applying a longitudinally extending label to a cardboard tube.

ice

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method for applying a longitudinally extending label to a rotating longitudinally moving tube.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the label applying apparatus of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken along the lines 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 33 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a tube making machine incorporating the label applying apparatus of FIGURES l-S.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a label applying apparatus designated generally as 10.

The label applying apparatus 10 receives cardboard tube 12 which is rotating around and moving along mandrel 14. The tube 12 is manufactured on the mandrel 14 by wrapping endless strips of cardboard or paper-like material 112 and 114 around the mandrel 14. The mandrel 14 is stationary and supported at its lefthand end in FIG-' URE 6.

The apparatus 10 includes a frame 16 having a sleeve 18 rotatably supported on bearings at its righthand end in FIGURE 1. The sleeve 18 is secured to a gear 29 having a hole 22 which is coaxial with the internal diameter of sleeve 18. As illustrated, the mandrel 14 and tube 12 extend through the hole 22 and through the sleeve 18.

The frame 16 supports a second sleeve 24 in a manner so that it surrounds the tube 12 and mandrel 14. A gear 26 surrounds the sleeve 24 and is fixedly secured thereto in any convenient manner. A plow 28 extends through the sleeves 18 and 24. Plow 28 is supported at its righthand end by struts 30. Plow 28 is supported from the sleeve 24 by struts 32.

A mounting plate 34 is secured to the sleeve 24. The extreme lefthand end of the plow 28 is supported from the plate 34 by struts 36. The plate 34 has secured thereto and extending therefrom first and second support members 38 and 40 respectively.

The terminal ends of the support members 38 and 40 support a shaft 42 on which is rotatably supported a roll 44 of label stock 45. The label stock 45 has a plurality of labels printed thereon at spaced points therealong, with the printing associated with the label being transversely disposed across the width of the label stock.

One end of the shaft 42 extends beyond the support member 40 and has a rack thereon. A pinnion 46 is meshingly engaged with the rack. The pinnion 46 is mounted on a shaft 48 which extends parallel to the mandrel 14. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 5, the shaft 48 termintes in a sprocket 50 having approximately four fingers. A gear 52 is fixedly secured to the shaft 48 intermediate its ends and in meshing engagement with gear 54. Gear 54 is fixedly secured to one end of shaft 56. A sprocket.

Q 58, similar to sprocket 50 is secured to the other end of shaft 56.

A finger 60 is disposed between the sprockets 50 and 58 as shown more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 5. The finger 60 is at one end of a reciprocally supported shaft adapted to be moved in one direction by a solenoid 62 and in an opposite direction by solenoid 64. Operation of the solenoids 62 and 64 is responsive to actuation of the push buttons 66 and 68 respectively. For purposes of clarity of illustration, the electrical circuit between the push buttons 66 and 68 and the solenoids is not illustrated.

In FIGURES 1 and 5, the finger 61) is in a neutral position. When push button 66 is actuated, the solenoid 62 reciprocates the finger 6t) to the left thereby causing rotation of the sprocket 50 which in turn rotates the shaft 48 in one direction. When push button 68 is activated, finger 60 reciprocates to the right in'FIGURES l and thereby causing rotation of sprocket 58 to rotate shaft 48 in the opposite direction. Such rotation of the shaft 48 causes reciprocation of the shaft 42. Reciprocation of the shaft 42 is desired to assure that the longitudinal axis of the mandrel 14 will be in line with an imaginary center line on the label stock 45. V

A nozzle 67 is supported by the support member 4% in a position so that a side edge of the label stock 45 will have an adhesive applied thereto to facilitate the provision of an overlapped seam of the label stock 45 around the tube 12. The nozzle 67 is in communication with an adhesive container 69. The adhesive in container 69 is subjected to air pressure from above by conduit 71 which is in continuous communication with conduit 73.

A means is provided to counterbalance the decrease in the weight of the roll 44 as the label stock 45 is unrolled therefrom during operation of the apparatus 10. Such means includes a counterweight 70 which has a threaded rod 72 extending therethrough and threadedly engaged therewith. The lower end of the rod 72 is supported from support plate, 34 by an arm 74. Arm 74 supports a bracket 76 which extends generally parallel to the rod 72. A rib on the weight 70 extends into a groove on the bracket 76 thereby constraining the movement of the counterweight 70 to reciprocation radially inwardly and outwardly.

The other end of the threaded rod 72 is secured to a helical gear 78 which is in meshing engagement with a bevel gear 80. Gear 78 is substantially larger than gear 80. Gear 80 is supported at one end of shaft 84. Shaft 84 is rotatably supported by a standard 82 which in turn is supported by arm 74. The other end of shaft 84 is provided with a sprocket 86having approximately four fingers. The sprocket 86 is adapted to be rotated once every revolution by contact with finger 88 which projects from and is supported by the frame 87 for a wire cage 89. The wire cage 89 surrounds the plate 34 and the elements supported therefrom so as to prevent workmen or operators from being injured by the rotation of such elements.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 1, a glue pot 96 having a roller 92 is provided to apply adhesive to the outer periphery of the tube 12 before the tube 12 enters the wire cage 89. The roller 92 merely rotates about its longitudinal axis. Since the tube 12 is continuously rotating about its longitudinal axis, the entire peripheral surface thereof will have an adhesive applied thereto by roller 92.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 1, the apparatus includes a horizontally disposed drive shaft 94 having a gear 96 at one end and a gear 98 at the other end. The gear 96 is meshingly engaged with the gear 26 to rotatably drive the sleeve 24 and plate 34. The gear 98 is meshingly engaged with gear 20 to rotatably drive the sleeve 18. Rotation of the sleeves will in turn cause rotation of the plow 28. The drive shaft 94 is rotatably driven by a chain extending around a sprocket on the shaft 94 and the output sprocket on a motor 106. Motor 100 is preferably a variable speed motor. The motor is preferably of the type which enables one to selectively vary its output speed so that the plate 34 and plow 28 rotate at the same-rate of speed as the tube 12. A multicolored disc 192 is adjustably supported from a bracket 106 by a rod 194. The bracket 106 is secured to the sleeve 18. Disc 192 facilitates the determination that the sleeve 18 is rotating at the same speed as the tube 12. During such determination roller 92 will not be in contact with tube 12.

The operation of the present invention is as follows:

Rolls of paper-like material 112 and 114 will be supported on unwind stands on opposite sides of the mandrel 14 as illustrated at the lefthand end of FIGURE 6. An adhesive applicator is provided to apply adhesive to the outer surface of paper-like material 112. The paper-like material 112 and 114 will be spirally wound around the mandrel 14 thereby forming a tube 12.

As the tube 12 is being formed, it is caused to move along the mandrel 14 and rotate about the mandrel 14 by belt means 110. Motor 100 will be initially operated so that plow 28 and plate 34 rotate at approximately the same rate of speed as tube 12. A glance at the multicolored disc 152 which is in rolling engagement with the periphery of the tube 12 will indicate whether or not the plow 28 and plate 34 are rotating at the same rate of speed as tube 12. If'not, a slight variance in the speed of the motor 19%) may be effected. As the tube 12 moves past the roller 92, adhesive is applied to its outer surface. The adhesively coated tube 12 then enters through a central hole in the wire cage 89 and passes through the plow 28. Motor 100 causes the plow 23 and plate 34 to rotate in the same direction as the tube 12 at the same rate of speed.

Since the roll 44 of the label stock 45 and the plow 28 are rotating at the same rate of speed as the tube 12, the label stock 45 may be applied longitudinally on the tube 12. The shaping of the label stock 45 is effected by the plow 28. The adhesive coating on the outer periphery of the tube 12 as applied by roller 92 causes the label stock 45 to be adhered to the tube 12 thereby efiecting unwinding of the label stock 45 from the roll 44. As illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the plow 28 causes one of the longitudinally side edges of the label stock 45 to be applied to the tube 12 so that the other longitudinally extending side edge may overlap the same with an adhesive seal being efiected between the overlapping edges as a resuit of the adhesive applied from nozzle 67.

If the end product indicates that the roll 44 is not properly aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube 12, one of the push buttons 66 or 68 will be actuated to reciprocate the finger 60. Actuation of the finger 60 will place the same in the rotary path of one of the sprockets 50 and 58. As the sprocket rotates about the tube 12 with the plate 34, it will abut the stationary finger 69 thereby causing the sprocket to rotate through a small arc. Such rotation of the sprocket will in turn cause rotation of the shaft 48 and reciprocation of the shaft 42. This process may be repeated several times until the end product indicates that the roll 44 is in a proper position so that the label stock 45 will be properly applied to the tube 12 by the contoured plow 28.

' The label stock 45 will be continuously applied to the continuously moving and rotating tube 12 until the supply of label stock on the roll 44 diminishes. At this time, a new roll 44 will be provided, the supply of adhesive in container 69 will be replenished, and new rolls of paperlike material 112 and 114 will be provided. Thereafter, the machine will be placed back in operation and the above process repeated.

As the supply of label stock 45 diminishes due to unwinding of the same from the roll 44, the counterweight 7t reciprocates radially inwardly along the threaded rod 72. This is accomplished as follows: Each time that the sprocket 86 passes through one rotative cycle, it abuts against the finger 88 which causes the same to rotate through a predetermined arc. Such rotation of the sprocket 86 causes rotation of gear St) which in turn causes rotation of gear '78. Rotation of gear 78 causes rotation of rod 72. Since counterweight 70 is constrained only to longitudinal movement, it reciprocates radially inwardly due to the rotation of its nonrising actuator rod 72. When the roll 44 is replaced, the bracket 76 will be moved to a position so that the counterweight 743 may be freely rotated so that it may assume the position illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The means for applying the label to the tube 12 as per the present invention facilitates manufacturing of cardboard tubes having a label applied therearound at speeds equal to the speeds attained by the apparatus in the above-mentioned patents. At the same time, the present invention materially reduces the problems associated with aligning the label stock so that the labels which are printed on a bias will be properly disposed on the tube. Also, the present invention materially reduces the cost of label stock. After the label stock 45 has been applied to the tube 12, the endless tube will then be cut to uniform lengths by a synchronized cutter 168 which may be of a conventional type. The cutter 168 is preferably a flying or orbital cutter which is well-known to those skilled in the art. The label stock is preferably provided with detection marks between adjacent labels so that the endless tube will be cut along the detection marks by the knives of the cutter 198.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the present invention may be utilized in the production of cylindrical tubes as well as other shapes. For example, the present invention may be utilized in the production of rectangular shaped tubes.

When making cylindrical tubes, the mandrel 14 is cylindrical in cross section and stationary as pointed out above. When making a rectangular shaped tube, the mandrel is similarly shaped and a means is provided to rotate the mandrel about its longitudinal axis. When making rectangular shaped tubes, only one cutter will be utilized, and it will be positioned so that the cut is made at a point wherein the tube will not be internally supported by the mandrel. It is within the scope of the present invention to spray adhesive on tube 12 instead of using a roller such as roller 92 regardless whether the tube is cylindrical or rectangular in cross section.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a mandrel, means for supporting one end of said mandrel, means for continuously forming a tube on said mandrel by spirally winding paperlike material about said mandrel, means for continuously shaping and applying label stock to the circumferential periphery of the tube in a manner so that the side edges of the label stock extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube while the tube is rotating about the axis of said mandrel, a motor coupled to said last-mentioned means for rotating the same at approximately the same speed of rotation as the tube being formed on said mandrel, and means for cutting the tube having label stock applied to its circumferential periphery into unit lengths.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for applying label stock to the tube includes a roll of label stock supported for rotation about the tube at the same rate of speed as the tube, and said shaping means including a plow supported for rotation about the tube at the same rate of speed as .the tube, said plow being adapted to shape the label stock about'the tube.

3. Apparatus comprising means defining a cage, second means for supporting a roll of label stock within said cage, a plow coupled to said second means for rotation therewith, a mandrel extending through said cage and plow, motor means for rotating said second means and a roll of label stock supported thereby around said mandrel, whereby label stock may be longitudinally applied to a hollow elongated shape moving along said mandrel and rotating with said mandrel.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 including a means for offsetting the decrease in weight of a roll of label stock as the label stock is applied to the tube, said last-mentioned means being associated with said second means and on an opposite side of the mandrel with respect to a roll of label stock.

' 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said second means includes an applicator for applying an adhesive .to a major face along side edge of the label stock before the label stock is applied to the hollow elongated shape.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said second means is coupled to one end portion of said plow, the other end portion of said plow being supported by a rotary member adapted to rotate at the same rate of speed as said second means.

7. Apparatus comprising a mandrel, means for producing a hollow elongated shape around said mandrel and causing said shape to move along said mandrel, means for applying an adhesive to the periphery of the hollow shape, a plow, a supply of label stock, means for supporting and rotating said plow and label stock about the hollow elongated shape at the same rate of speed of rotation of said hollow elongated shape for longitudinally applying the label stock to the adhesive on the outer periphery of said hollow elongated shape in a manner so that the label stock has an overlapped seam extending longitudinally along the hollow elongated shape, and means for cutting the hollow elongated shape into unit lengths after the label stock has been applied thereto.

8. A. method of applying a label to a hollow elongated shape comprising rotating a hollow elongated shape, moving the hollow elongated shape through a plow, feeding label stock between the plow and the hollow elongated shape, applying adhesive to the outer periphery of the hollow elongated shape before it enters the plow, and rotating the label stock and plow at the same rate of speed and in the same direction as the hollow elongated shape.

9. A method of making hollow elongated shapes of unit length having a label applied thereto comprising the steps of rotating a mandrel, spirally winding a hollow elongated shape about said mandrel, causing the hollow elongated shape to move along said mandrel and rotate with said mandrel, continuously longitudinally applying a label to said hollow elongated shape, said last step including passing label stock and the hollow elongated shape through a plow, causing the plow and label stock to rotate at the same rate of speed and in the same direction as the rotation of said hollow elongated shape, providing adhesive between said label and the periphery of said hollow shape, and then cutting the thusly labeled elongated shape into unit lengths.

10. A label applying apparatus comprising a platelike member, a mandrel extending through a hole in said plate-like member, said plate-like member being mounted for rotation about said mandrel, a roll supporting shaft mounted on said plate-like member, the longitudinal axis of said shaft being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said mandrel, said shaft being adapted to support a roll of label stock, a plow, means supporting said plow for rotation with said plate-like member about the longitudinal axis of said mandrel, and means for adjusting the position of said shaft with respect to said plate-like member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said mandrel thereby facilitating alignment of an imaginary center line on a roll of label stock with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means for offsetting the decrease in weight of a roll of label stock includes an element mounted for movement towards the roll of label stock as the size of the label stock decreases.

8 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner.

BERNARD STICKNEY, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS COMPRISING A MANDREL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID MANDREL, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING A TUBE ON SAID MANDREL BY SPIRALLY WINDING PAPERLIKE MATERIAL ABOUT SAID MANDREL, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SHAPING AND APPLYING LABEL STOCK TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL PERIPHERY OF THE TUBE IN A MANNER TO THAT THE SIDES EDGES OF THE LABEL STOCK EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TUBE WHILE THE TUBE IS ROTATING ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID MANDREL, A MOTOR COUPLED TO SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SAME AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME SPEED OF ROTATION AS THE TUBE BEING FORMED ON SAID MANDREL AND MEANS FOR CUTTING THE TUBE 